The basic gear needed for birding is pretty reasonable: a pair of binoculars, a field guide and a small notebook for recording the birds you see.

And while birds are everywhere, it’s nice to visit a place where there are a lot of them to increase your odds. That makes Rocky Mountain National Park a good bet, with more than 300 species in its 416 square miles.

The park offers free, ranger-led 90-minute bird walks daily. Bring your binoculars and field guide and plenty of questions for the experts who lead this informative walk, which follows along the Big Thompson River around the bird-friendly aspen stands and willow thickets.

Looking for something a bit more intensive? Kaiyote Tours does guided group (nonprivate) and private hikes through the park, from easy to moderate, 3.4 to 4.6 miles in length. They supply water, rain ponchos and bug spray, as well as backpacks for gear. On the private hikes, you will look for specific birds. The tour’s record is 101 species in one day.

The fee to get into the park, which is valid for seven days, is $20 per vehicle.

Rocky Mountain National Park Spring Bird Walk (nps.gov/romo, 970-586-1206) meets at the Cub Lake Trailhead daily at 8 a.m. through June 18. Visit the website for the summer schedule. Free.

Kaiyote Tours (kaiyotetours.com, 970-556-6103) requires advance registration; see the website for trip lengths of nonprivate tours. Cost: $40 per person nonprivate; private starts at $110 per person for a half day for one or two people and $180 per person for a full day. Must be over age 10.

The details

STAY: You can go supercheap and camp at Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park of Estes (5495 U.S. 36, 800-722-2928, jellystoneofestes.com), a family-friendly spot tucked up against Roosevelt National Forest, with trees around the tent sites (they sit high on a hill, nice and quiet). Bonus: breakfast daily through the summer. They have a heated pool, and RVs (stationary) and cabins for rent. Rates: Start at $21 (no hookups) and $41 (full hookups); cabins start at $46; RVs starts at $88.

The 27 acres of forest at Romantic RiverSong (1766 Lower Broadview Road, 970-586-4666, romanticriversong.com) almost guarantee that you’ll add a few more birds to your life list — solitaires, pygmy nuthatches and Downey woodpeckers are among the regulars — and elk sightings are common too. You can see wildlife from the large rooms in this bed and breakfast from oversized windows and private decks overlooking the gardens. Many of the rooms — inside the lodge and cottages — have jetted tubs for two, fireplaces and cozy sitting areas. Breakfast and afternoon tea included. Rates start at $165.

DINE: Go inexpensive and eat at Smokin’ Dave’s BBQ and Taphouse (820 Moraine Ave., 866-674-2793, smokindavesbbqandtaphouse.com), a locals’ favorite for its moist pulled pork and St. Louis-style ribs, with a solid beer roster. If you want something fishy, the wild salmon Reuben, with honey-chipotle sauce, is amazing. Save room for the chocolate peanut butter pie.

Or you can splurge at the Twin Owls Steakhouse in the Black Canyon Inn (800 MacGregor Ave., 970-586-9344, twinowls.net). Here it’s also all about the mammals — prime rib, ribeye and New York strip, all hand-cut and grilled to your request. The specialty is the filet MacGregor, but the steakhouse also can put a nice pine-nut crust on a chicken.